Rent A Wreck

Red tries to be a kinder, gentler person – until he learns that Mike plans to borrow his van for use in a demolition derby.

Cast (in order of Appearance):, , , , , , , , , , ,

DVD: The Red Green Show – 1999 Season

Watch the episode on YouTube

Segment Summary
See also: Transcript

Plot: Red explains that he has become so frustrated during a trip to the hardware store that Bernice gives him a card with messages designed to help him be a nicer friend to others and get rewards for it. Red had already lent Winston the Possum Van, which Winston has just returned and pays Red some money for his troubles. Mike then shows up and asks Red if he can borrow the van, which Red agrees to. Soon after, Mike returns the van and pays Red for it, then asks to borrow it again later. Red agrees, but learns from Winston, too late, that Mike had earlier used the Possum Van in a demolition derby and plans to do so again now. Red tries to stop Mike. But he is too late; Mike has wrecked the van in the derby. This incident causes Red to stop being tolerant, and Mike promises to put the Possum Van back together. Winston, meanwhile, explains that he entered his sewage truck in the derby as well, but ran into problems of his own.

Opening Scene: Red shows a usage for odd socks in the drawer.

The Possum Lodge Word Game: Ranger Gord tries to guess the word "water" to win a Possum Girls calendar.

Harold at the Office: It's Harold's birthday and Red brings him his old switcher from the show as a present. Harold pushes a button on the switcher and then Red has other lodge members show up to sing "Happy Birthday" to Harold, much to his embarrassment.

If It Ain't Broke, You're Not Trying: Dalton brings in a jammed remote control for Red to repair, but it's covered in clam chowder.

Handyman Corner: Red tries to crush apples to repave his driveway.

Midlife: Why not to get a facelift.

Adventures: Red and Walter come up with some strange ways of removing propane tanks and heavy pipes from an upper floor of a warehouse.

Life and Times: The Manning Triplets, who were born as an idea of the local town to capitalize on the birth of the Dionne quintuplets. But the town never got the anticipated revenue and the mayor was turfed out of office after being named the triplets' father. They went on to play baseball, serve in the Army postal corps and then receive medical discharges, after which they worked for the post office and went on compensation.

Remarks

 * Based on Red's comment about when the Manning triplets were born (in 1932), the Dionne quintuplets, born in 1934, would have been two years younger than the Manning triplets, even though Red's explanation suggests otherwise.

Real World References

 * The Manning triplets' names are all the same as the three Rice Krispies elves, Snap, Crackle and Pop.
 * During "Adventures", Red mentions Newton's law, which he claims is not "worth a fig", most likely referring to Fig Newtons.

Famous Mentions

 * In the If It Ain't Broke segment, Dalton mentions Masterpiece Theater and the WWF.
 * The Life and Times segment mentions the Dionne quintuplets, born on May 28, 1934.